JWRStation

Thanks John and I have now a copy of the file. I spent many (many) days on speed control to get RM selected speed to equal what was measured. I battery DC test run all my loco's so as to keep an eye on motor condition especially regarding the magnets and I have replaced many with various packs of Neodymium types. Using the battery method I can modify size and number fitted to optimise lowest running current, motor noise, motor start 'harshness' etc; but I digress. I have found that most locos above crawl speed have a fairly linear speed line. Decoder internal speed checks for settings also tend to have a fairly linear relationship for speed step to voltage. As a result speed control 'Should' also be fairly linear but in RM it is not. Some of my Locos once optimised for cruise barely slow down at say 30mph whilst some others barely run above crawl?? Even using the decoder 'complex' speed curve does not always get round this and taking a day to process each loco is not something at want to waste my time on; so like you I set cruise and crawl and juggle anything inbetween. maybe though will look at modifying the resources entries and see what happens.

John Macros in Excel take me back 20 years or more when I used to do a lot of spreadsheet work. I always found it easier to use a spreadsheet as a database anyway. I use 2002 as well for the work on my 97 Pro windows computer as I found RM ran better. When opening (from inside access) the Resource file it does come up with the error message about an 'older' version but then accepting this it opens up the database pane and I can then open the table.. You do have to be careful moving around inside the table as it sometimes (for no discernible reason?) crashes though opening it up again is where you left it. One thing I did find was that directly entering a Loco Without selecting a Hornby R number of a loco for the initial details will cause the database to crash because of missing entries.. Also, though it says its an access database and is .mdb it actually is not as it has a number of database parameters missing from an 'real' access mdb. Reason why it cannot be converted. Macros would be interesting to trial and also about the speed curve entry's?? What did you find as I have messed about a bit with them and even deleting them seemed to not make any difference to the loco???

Also the justification of of powering a new unknown machine in 'programming' mode which would then fail to read without burning up a decoder...

I have a number of Locomotives fitted with TTS sound. My layout has numerous continuous circuits with three having inclines of various gradients. There is nothing more monotonous than having sound locomotives running around the circuits with a continuous speed and thus sound. In real life locomotive speeds vary depending upon gradients. In order to try and replicate this I have been experimenting with the PID setting. Changing them slightly did not have any effect and in fact I had to drop them down 1 for each value in order to get a noticeable effect. I did try both at 0 which give an improved speed variation but it was a bit erratic. Finally I found that p=0 gave the best speed variation with i=1 enough to ensure the speed recovered to the set point once on the flat. From this I can now have a few TTS locos running with various speed sounds moving up and down as loco's traverse around the layout so it is no longer just a continuous and sometimes annoying background noise. Anybody else looked at this????

Hi I used the reset =2 in regards to the lack of short circuit error message and the e-link is correctly selected but, as I said the lack of the short circuit error report (though an obvious bug somewhere) is of no real concern. I suppose that not too many users have a database of over 200 loco's so this should only affect a minority. During this problematic episode I have been playing around with many of the files in RM so on an FYI note for those who monitor and assist in many areas of the Forum you may find the below interesting if you don't already know it that is..!!. As previously observed, RM slows down the more loco's it has to deal with and with over 200 mine was starting to be slow opening etc. I can live with that but as I mention I always transfer the current active locos to the top to save time in editing as they are usually near the bottom of the list. As you know there does not appear to be a repeat function when highlighting the arrows to move up and down the list so with over 200 locos in the database it takes 200 clicks to move one up; with 30 in the group that is 6 thousand clicks of the button to carry this operation out. Additionally (and annoyingly) any new loco also comes in at the bottom so another 200 odd clicks to get it up to the top. There is a file in RM called 'resources' which is part of the backup; turns out it is basically the loco database whereas I thought it was much more. Though an old type of access database (really old!!!!) as long as you don't try and be clever with it and just open up in basic format it can be edited. I have nine groups and basically through many deleting and resaving sessions split it up into my nine nominated groups. Each was dropped into their own directory in my DCC folder so as to keep the correct name and ensure no accidental overwriting. I took one, dropped it into the Railmaster directory overwriting that file. Opened RM and sure enough only the loco's in that group came up when selected, all the other groups showed none available. RM was (relatively speaking) lightning fast in opening and also when selecting the loco list etc. Now would it work live or need to close down to change groups?? To try this and whilst running RM I dropped another groups file into the RM directory again overwriting. RM still showed the group previously selected however, selecting the new group caused the display to update then selecting the old group just showed a NO loco page as it should. From this RM appears to only access the 'resource' file when a change is requested and it takes the different details without it causing any conflicts. Adding loco's is now significantly quicker and all changes can be saved by copying the 'resource' file in RM to the relevant group directory and overwriting the old one (ONLY after RM is closed down as this is when a full update to the file is done). Additionally, when you first delete entries in the database to 'thin it down' it still displays the old file size in properties and the database entries still reflect there old position numbers however, once in RM and if you close RM down the file is updated with new (starting from one) database record listing and also reflects its correct new 'size' i.e. down from 2.6M down 250K for one of my groups. This last bit just some technical details. The only thing I have not managed to do is recombine groups again. Once deleted then sections of one groups database will not carry over to another groups database. I think it is because you must NOT update the database into a modern format and access thus only has basic functionality Finally, just a small one but my group listing was not in the order I required and I found that it could be amended by opening with Notepad then resaving. probably all know that one anyway)!!!!

Thanks.. I have revision 5 and not sure about informing HRMS as when I click on the tick it just says incorrect email address and nothing seems to happen..

Thanks ALL who have responded. Having spent a while this morning going through options it has turned out to be the number of Loco's in the 'Resources' file however, that is not the whole picture. There seems to be two limits; the first is 172. If you have more than this in any group it will give a display error message though that's all it seems to be as nothing else particularly happens. This also displays if you have more than 172 loco's in total and you select 'ALL'. You can though still re-select any other group without any problem HOWEVER, the next limit is when you have OVER 200 locos in the 'Resource' file. All appears well whilst you have any sub group selected and you can select any sub group you want BUT, if you then select 'ALL' you can no longer select any other sub group. Whilst they will up show up in the selection box and can be 'highlighted', if you click on any of them it just reloads 'ALL' again. Two ways around this... Delete a few loco's and once down to 200 it magically all works again. Alternately, move the 'resource' file to a temp folder then restart RM. Acknowledge the file loading errors then re-select a group, close RM down, return the resource file, restart RM and all will be as it was. I have checked the above ten times just to make sure (and also counted the number of Loco's!!) just to prove the options will work. Finally, not sure I have the latest version of RM and so I am going now to see plus even with the ini file amends as suggested, the short error message is still not happening. I can live with that as I have an Ammeter connected to the E-link to monitor system load and thus can see it has tripped.

Hopefully the help numbers still work. I have also discovered other problems in that a short circuit fault (loco derail) trips the e-link but i no longer get an error message on RM and in fact have to shut it down and start up again to get any loco control!!! A very, very poorly RM program on my machine now...

Thanks for return. I will contact Hornby directly and get then to de-register it from their end checking that all is fine with my DVD and pro codes. I had to do this last time when my computer at the time trashed its hard drive in a big way so could not accessed by any method. Will also look at TGG as you note.

Hi Thanks for the input and reference: I have pro and thus have a backup of the data.Reloading the latest version 'over the top' has had no effectOld defunct e mail on my account so I am not sure the request has gone through.Tried a number BAK files with no change. I also don't have the option of a complete reload as I cannot de-register the software. I get a 505 failure saying my activation code is not recognised??? This is despite RM entered in my firewall and I have confirmed in real time that the firewall is letting information through.

OK I have read all the threads regarding Loco number's etc and believe this could be a new one as I cannot find the reference in the 'other' faults Background - I have around 200 loco's in RM and as previous posts etc cover I have them in groups of between 10 and 40 locos depending upon the group name i.e. GWR, LMS Private etc. I select the group that I am currently running plus I also transfer them to the 'top' of the listing. This is more for easier access to change parameters then an absolute need. Note that I have been running the programme in this configuration for over five years without any problems!!! Problem - Yesterday for no obvious reason and whilst running locos, RM defaulted to selecting 'ALL'. I did not notice this for a while given the note above regarding placing the running group at the 'top'. I want to change loco details and then got the error about displaying more than 172 in two column?? Wondering why it was on 'ALL' I tried to select my running group but it did not change, just went through the reload all routine. I then tried to select all the other groups one at a time with the same result. Actions so far - After reading all the other posts I can find I have carried out multiple restarts, resets (Select 2 for the elink in the .ini file). I created another group but this one would also not select. I then deleted the groups file which removed the top RH selection box as expected (though it did not remove the group nomination from the loco details???). I then created another group and the selection box returned but still it would not select the new group and just defaulted to 'ALL' every time I tried. Thoughts - I am assuming something has become 'corrupt' and therefore a program re-load could be required but I am loath to loose 200 loco settings but if needs must??? Thoughts and suggestion before I do this Joe

Thanks for that Confused me with the amount it would lift off whist being screwed down?? Still, done now. Regards

I have an early Bob Spitfire and West Country Exeter that I require to access the tender however, I cannot figure how to remove the tender top??? It pulls up as if it is pressed in to a mid body rubber mount but will only move a short way then go no further. I cannot see up the side to see how it is secured and I am loath to pull really hard in case of damage as both loco's are in as new condition ??????

Thanks Gents.... Forgot to mention that I was (retired now) a Marine Engineer for 45 years with many early years spent on DC ships so I know DC motors both practical and theory plus spent many 'Happy' hours in hot parts of an engine room stripping and repairing DC motors. The following therefore involves a lot of 'humble pie'. The final tests I did on the motor where with it running unloaded. The result was the faster the motor went the higher the current taken up to 20 Amps at full load. This was repeatable, a continuous value and obviously a lot of codswollap as the motor should have burnt out and it wasn't even warm!!!!! Then, like the proverbial 'ton of bricks' my ageing mind figured it out. DC motors because they have fixed brushes make and break the armature circuit in order to rotate in one direction. Thus for a split second you have a collapsing current through a set of windings in a magnet field; just like the coil on an old points fitted car. This generates a high voltage spike whose value depends upon the speed of current collapse i.e. speed of rotation; reason for fitting a capacitor to prevent this spike interfering with TV's etc. Through a lot of testing, this spike must have broke down the 'smoothing' circuit in the multimeter thus it was reading the voltage spikes as a current and thus as the motor speed changed it read increasing current...!!! I checked the meter on a loco I had tested a couple of months ago which at the time had stable readings, sure enough the ammeter readings were also all over the place. Double checked with my expensive industrial specification Fluke 77 meter and that was straight as a die. So the old adage of results are only as good as the equipment certainly held true and I should have clocked this earlier but the Decoder failure did confuse the issue. On that subject maybe it failed for the same reason with high level voltage spikes because the recommend is that capacitors are not needed when decoders are fitted!!! Perhaps not so, especially on older motors running at relatively high current. I will definitely be refitting capacitors back on my loco's..... You never stop learning, or perhaps more specifically, remembering what you once knew ????????? Joe

I have an interesting fault that is present on a couple of my older loco. For info I test my locos with Nicad DC batteries set in 3/4/5 etc cells in series so as to give a fixed voltage whilst testing. I then monitor speed / current in order to determine the condition of the magnets i.e. high running voltage and/or current for a set speed then magnetism is low. However some of them when running, especially at higher voltages, have very erratic current readings i.e. it will be running at say 250 mA but then suddenly jumps to 2.5 Amps before returning back to 250mA followed by erratically jumping at random levels then settling at 250mA again. Now my understanding of theory is that the stall current i.e. without any back emf will give the highest possible current as this is then determined by rotor resistance and applied voltage. Most of the older motor have a stall current of 650 to 750 mA with about 12 volts DC therefore 2.5 Amps is theoretically not possible. Now I know its motor current and not a short between the tracks as I had fitted a decoder to one of my older trains which had previously given good readings only to have it blow due to excessive load (decoder rated at 1 amp continuous). It was only when I retested it rewired back for DC that it displayed the erratic current. I did do a quick test and when it indicated 2.5 Amp I grabbed it and stalled it on the track and the current immediately dropped down to 650mA i.e. stall current. My only thought is a short in the rotor windings but the above test showed the windings must have been reading normal when stalled. Possibly when running due to centrifugal force but if so it would be a reduction of rotor resistance from nominally 22 Ohm to 6 Ohm to get the high current and I would perhaps expect the loco speed to jump about. However, speed is constant without any change of running noise..!!! One final thing, the magnet was not too good and when I replaced it with a Neodymium magnet then the erratic readings near enough stopped though an occasion 1 volt was seen. So rotor winding short it is, or not!!!!!